With a modern stadium that can hold nearly 40,000 spectators, a colorful promenade along the coast and the possibility of Major League Baseball (MLB) players entering Venezuela after the easing of sanctions imposed by the United States, the Caribbean country will showcase its “rebirth” and ability to host major competitions with the Caribbean Series 2023.
Venezuela’s Renaissance in Sports: Caribbean Series 2023 to Showcase Modern Stadium, Economic Recovery
Venezuela is set to host seven teams at this year’s 65th edition of World Baseball Classic, February 2-10, after withdrawing as a candidate to host in two consecutive years-2018 and 2019-due to political “instability.”
Now, with the economic recovery that began last year, Venezuela intends to exceed expectations and consolidate itself in the sports field, showing the transition from the “stage of resistance to that of renaissance,” as explained by the Minister of Sports, Mervin Maldonado.
“Sport is experiencing one of its best moments in history,” he said, citing the improved Olympics, the Tokyo Paralympics and the revived National Games after nine years as examples of progress made in sport.
Overcoming difficulties
“There were several challenges to making this competition happen,” said Humberto Oropeza, executive director of the Caribbean Series organizing committee. “The first was getting the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to lift the veto that prevented the use of MLB players.”
“I think that was the biggest (challenge), the OFAC (…) without the OFAC license, the MLB players would not have been able to come and, logically, the other countries said ‘how am I going to play if I can’t bring my MLB players who are on the roster’, which in the case of Santo Domingo will be 50% of the roster,” he said.
The 65th edition of the Caribbean Series will feature eight teams from the region for the first time and will be played in two stadiums simultaneously: in the capital, La Rinconada and Macuto, in the coastal province of La Guaira, which will make the organization more difficult for Oropeza due to the increased number of athletes, hotels, transfers and visitors.
In this sense, Maldonado stressed that Venezuela promises to offer a high-level sporting spectacle that shows its efforts to circumvent the sanctions imposed by the United States.
The best stadium in Latin America
The president of the LVBP, Giuseppe Palmisano, highlighted the contribution of the Venezuelan state in this tournament, with the construction of two stadiums, in addition to security and broadcasting permits for the media.
“The state has made an effort to permit visas, permission to enter the country, always wanting to put sport above any political differences,“ he said.
The La Rinconada stadium, which according to the sports minister will have a capacity of 38,000, is still under construction, with more than 3,000 workers working around the clock to have it ready by February 2.
Maldonado explained that the stadium will have seven levels and that it is an ambitious project that will put Venezuela on par with baseball stadiums where world classics are held.
Full Schedule of the Gran Caracas 2023 Caribbean Series
The participating teams are:
- Vaqueros de Monteria (Colombia)
- Agricultores (Cuba)
- WildCats KJ74 (Curacao)
- Cañeros de Los Mochis (Mexico)
- Federales de Chiriqui (Panama)
- Indios de Mayagüez (Puerto Rico)
- Tigres de Licey (Dominican Republic)
- Leones del Caracas (Venezuela)
The following is the complete schedule for the Gran Caracas 2023 Caribbean Series:
Thursday, February 2
- 10:30, La Guaira: Cuba (3) Curacao (1) Win: Cuba
- Noon, La Rinconada: Mexico (5) Dominican Republic (4) Win: Mexico
- 15:00 La Guaira: Colombia (7) Puerto Rico (1) Win: Colombia
- 18:45, La Rinconada: Opening Ceremony
- 20:30, La Rinconada: Venezuela (5) Panama (2) Win: Venezuela
Friday, February 3
- 13:00, La Rinconada: Panama (6) Colombia (5) Win: Panama
- 14:30, La Guaira: Dominican Republic (3) Cuba (1) Win: Dominican Republic
- 18:00, La Rinconada: Curacao (2) Mexico (1) Win: Curacao
- 19:30, La Guaira: Puerto Rico (6) Venezuela (1) Win: Puerto Rico
Saturday, February 4
- 22:30, La Rinconada: Curacao (1) Panama (0) Win: Curacao
- 14:00, La Guaira: Puerto Rico (4) Dominican Republic (6) Win: Dominican Republic
- 15:00, La Rinconada: Colombia (6) Mexico (7) Win: Mexico
- 19:30, La Rinconada: Cuba (3) Venezuela (20) Win: Venezuela
Sunday, February 5
- 13:00, La Guaira: Colombia (6) Curacao (5) Win: Colombia
- 14:30, La Rinconada: Mexico (6) Cuba (5) Win: Mexico
- 18:00, La Guaira: Puerto Rico (4) Panama (6) Win: Panama
- 19:30, La Rinconada: Dominican Republic (2) Venezuela (3) Win: Venezuela
Monday, February 6
- 10:30, La Rinconada: Cuba (4) Colombia (5) Win: Colombia
- 14:00, La Guaira: Dominican Republic (10) Panama (1) Win: Dominican Republic
- 15:00, La Rinconada: Curacao (1) Puerto Rico (3) Win: Puerto Rico
- 19:30, La Rinconada: Mexico (7) Venezuela (0) Win: Mexico
Tuesday, February 7
- 13:00, La Rinconada: Cuba (3) Puerto Rico (4) Win: Puerto Rico
- 14:30, La Guaira: Panama (1) Mexico (2) Win: Mexico
- 18:00, La Rinconada: Colombia (11) Dominican Republic (1) Win: Colombia
- 19:30, La Guaira: Venezuela (8) Curacao (6) Win: Venezuela
Wednesday, February 8
- 10:30, La Rinconada: Panama (10) Cuba (4) Win: Panama
- 14:00, La Guaira: Curacao (2) Dominican Republic (6) Win: Dominican Republic
- 15:00, La Rinconada: Puerto Rico (9) Mexico (3) Win: Puerto Rico
- 19:30, La Rinconada: Venezuela (7) Colombia (4) Win: Venezuela
Thursday, February 9
- 15:30, La Guaira: Dominican Republic (8) Mexico (3) Win: Dominican Republic
- 19:30, La Rinconada: Venezuela (7) Colombia (5) Win: Venezuela
Friday, February 10
- 14:30, La Rinconada: Colombia (0) Mexico (1) Win: Mexico
- 19:30, La Rinconada: Venezuela (0) Dominican Republic (3) Win: Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic, Caribbean Series Champions!
The Tigres del Licey defeated the host Leones del Caracas 3-0 at the Monumental Simón Bolívar to win the 11th Caribbean Series and the 22nd for the Dominican Republic.
Caribbean Series 2023 in Venezuela: A Return to the International Sports Stage
“You will have the opportunity to appreciate the best baseball stadium in all of Latin America and the Caribbean and, according to the people of the Caribbean Confederation, at the highest level of Major League Baseball stadiums,” he said.
The organizers insist that the most important thing is not the profit they will make from the event, whose tickets will cost between US$2 and US$40, but the prestige they will gain if the event they envision becomes a reality.
They dream so big that they are even considering asking MLB to organize a World Series in Venezuela in the future.
About The Caribbean Series
Since 1949, the Caribbean Series has brought together the champion teams from the professional leagues of several Latin American and Caribbean countries.
Mexico, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Cuba are the regular participants, while Panama, Nicaragua and other countries in the region have occasionally participated.
The tournament is held in the early months of the year and consists of five days of competition, with each team playing four games. The team with the most wins is crowned champion.
The intense and competitive tournament brings together the best players from each region, with each match being a showcase of skill and a chance for fans to experience the thrill of rivalry.
In addition to the games, the Caribbean Series offers a wide range of activities for fans, including cultural presentations, parades, shows and other special events. Provides an opportunity for participating teams to build relationships and showcase your country.
The Caribbean Series is a unique experience, bringing together the best players from different countries, allowing fans to experience an international ambiance. The event celebrates the love of the game and the passion of the area.
How often is the Caribbean series?
Every year, usually in February, the Caribbean Series takes place. It is a week-long tournament featuring teams from Caribbean and Latin American countries with a professional league.
The champions of their respective leagues are usually the teams that participate in the Caribbean Series. The teams play round-robin competition, with the team and the strongest record at the end of the series winning the championship.
How does the Caribbean series work?
The teams play round-robin, which means that each team plays every other team once. A team with a higher final score will be declared champion. It is organized by the Caribbean Confederation of Professional Baseball, which consists of the professional baseball leagues of Mexico, Venezuela, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.
